Region 5 eyes BT stadiums

Organisers of Region 5 Games have earmarked Blantyre’s Kamuzu and Mpira stadiums as alternative venues for football tournaments in case Lilongwe’s Civo and Silver stadiums fail to meet Cosafa requirements by October.

Civo and Silver stadiums were supposed to be closed for renovations last month as recommended by a Cosafa stadium inspection report we have seen, which condemned the venues, but matches have continued being played  at the venues due to delays in engaging a contractor to start the works.

African Union Sports Council (Ausc) delegation led by the games CEO Dennis Mombera, and the Council for Southern Africa Football Association (Cosafa), who will run the football tournament,  inspected Mpira and Kamuzu stadiums on Wednesday.

Minister of Youth and Sports director Jameson Ndalama yesterday confirmed that  Blantyre was identified as an alternative  because Mpira and Kamuzu stadiums, which have artificial turfs, are already in good condition.

He said: “But the final decision will be made by the organising committee.”

Mombera yesterday said in an interview that Blantyre venues were plan B for the football tournament.

He said: “When you are organising such an event, you need to have plan A, plan B and even plan C. So, plan A is that the football tournament venues remains Civo and Silver stadiums.

“Blantyre’s Mpira and Kamuzu stadiums are our plan B. That’s why we inspected them on Wednesday.”

Mombera said the delays in closing Civo and Silver stadiums were due to the delay to start the rehabilitation of the venues.

He said: “But the work at the stadiums will start anytime this week or next week. Once the work starts, no matches will be played at the two venues.

“We have already discussed with the teams that use the venues to find alternative grounds for their matches.”

However, TNM Super League fixtures show that Civo will play Karonga United at Civo Stadium  on Sunday.

Meanwhile, work at the Griffin Saenda Indoor Sports complex, which is also earmarked for  games, is also expected to conclude by October, according to Ndalama.

Apart from the Kamuzu Institute for Sports swimming pool and the Griffin Saenda Indoor Sports complex, the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) will host gymnastic, boxing and taekwondo while Bingu National Stadium which will host athletics.

The African Bible College will host basketball for the event which is scheduled for December 2-11.